


If Only You Knew

by ErinisMagic



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, I'm Sorry, M/M, Out of Body Experiences, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:21:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 9,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErinisMagic/pseuds/ErinisMagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He now took a moment to survey his surroundings. White wall, white floor, the doctor, and the beeping; he was in a hospital room. So, whoever was in trouble would be on the bed. He turned and beheld his own body, all wired up and no longer moving. He stared for a while before it finally sunk in.</p>
<p>
  <em> They were talking about him. <em></em></em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, first fic on AO3. Yay! Characters in this story are property of Marvel and all that jazz, and enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> p.s. Sorry about the small chapters. I post them as I write them.

The world swam before him when Tony first opened his eyes. He shut them quickly, the bright light doing nothing to help his splitting headache. A soft, steady beeping sounded from somewhere to his right, and all around him was a quiet murmur, voices speaking words he could not make out.

_What was going on?_

He sat up and opened his eyes again. The world was still spinning, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before, and his chest didn't hurt anymore. He stood, finding his balance before focusing on the voices. First off, who was speaking?

Tony turned his head, eyes falling on the doctor standing nearby, talking to Pepper, Steve, and Natasha. None of them seemed to notice him.

Tony pouted; he didn't like being ignored. He turned his attention to his teammates. They looked apprehensive. _Huh_ , thought Tony, _wonder why._

The sound of the doctor's voice continued to flow, but Tony still couldn't understand what he was saying. It was really starting to bother him. Apparently, whatever he had said was bad, because Pepper's hands flew to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Steve and Natasha didn't look to great either.

The doctor's words slowly became distinguishable. “...estimate he's only got a few days left. I'm sorry.” So someone was dying. That's not good. Well, at least Tony knew what was going on now, but one single question was hounding him. Who?

He now took a moment to survey his surroundings. White wall, white floor, the doctor, and the beeping; he was in a hospital room. So, whoever was in trouble would be on the bed. He turned and beheld his own body, all wired up and no longer moving. He stared for a while before it finally sunk in.

_They were talking about him._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Why did this have to happen? ___

Tony shook his head. This couldn't be happening. Why would he be dying? He was fine, right? He frowned. It didn't seem like it. There was a breathing tube down his throat, and he didn't need anyone to tell him that there wasn't a single part of him that wasn't being run by machines. He stood staring for a while, unable to look away, until Natasha's voice caught his attention.

“JARVIS, where are the others?”

“Agent Barton and Thor are both currently in the kitchen, and Doctor Banner is asleep in his room.” The intelligent voice of Tony's AI answered smoothly, without hesitation.

“Call Barton and Thor down here.”

“And Doctor Banner?”

Natasha remained quiet, eyes resting on Tony's body, lying motionless in the bed.

***

It wasn't long before Clint and Thor arrived in the hospital room. Tony suspected that the team had been waiting on news of his health for quite some time. No one spoke when they entered the room; one look at Pepper, who was still crying, told them all they needed to know.

“How long?” Clint asked, a hint of tension behind his steady voice. 

“Three days,” Natasha replied, still watching Tony's body, as if she suspected he was only faking, and that sooner or later he would twitch and reveal that he was just fine. 

“No matter how much you want it, I'm never going to move,” he told her, his voice breaking slightly. She couldn't hear him.

“Should we not inform Doctor Banner?” Thor's usually loud voice was now at what normal people would have described as speaking volume. It was far too quiet for Tony's comfort.

Natasha shook her head, eyes never straying from the bed. “We only just got him out of here,” she said softly. Tony got the feeling that Bruce had been at his bedside for however long he had been asleep before this.

“Well, someone's got to tell him,” said Clint, and Tony turned his head to look at the archer. He had his arms crossed over his chest, sorrowful eyes also resting on Tony's bed.

Tony felt awful. He didn't want to be seeing this; didn't want to watch his own death. Although Pepper was the only one who was openly upset, he could see that the others in the room were just as affected. They were just better at hiding it. 

He moved over to where Pepper was sitting and wrapped his ghostly arms around her. “It's going to be okay,” he whispered softly. He might as well have screamed it, because no one in the room was aware of his presence. He sighed. Why did this have to happen?

“I'll do it,” Steve spoke up. Everyone in the room, save Pepper, turned to look at him. He was standing at the foot of Tony's bed, and hadn't made a sound until now. “When he wakes up, I'll tell him.” Steve's fist clenched and unclenched nervously at his side. Tony checked the clock: 4:42 a.m. Bruce wouldn't wake up for a while. 

Silence descended upon the room after that, Tony stroking Pepper's hair as if it would make her feel any better. The rest of the team stood alone, trying to stay strong, not showing just how hurt they were. Tony just sighed again.

_Why did this have to happen?_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team kept a quiet vigil by Tony's bedside until the mid-morning. It wasn't until after 9 that anyone spoke.

The team kept a quiet vigil by Tony's bedside until the mid-morning. It wasn't until after 9 that anyone spoke.

“JARVIS,” Steve asked, “is Doctor Banner awake yet?”

“Yes, sir,” came the reply. “My video surveillance shows that Doctor Banner is currently in his lab.”

Steve didn't say anymore; only nodded and made his way out of the room. Tony found himself following him. He supposed that if he was... well, if he's dying, he might as well see Bruce while he still can. So, as Steve stepped into the elevator, Tony followed.

Steve looked nervous as he made his way to the door of the lab. He probably thought Bruce was going to hulk out or something. Tony sighed; Hulk was really not going to handle this well.

The pair walked into the lab, both unnoticed by the figure bent over one of the lab tables. It wasn't until Steve spoke that he looked up.

“Doctor Banner.”

Tony gasped softly at the sight of his boyfriend. “Bruce...” he whispered under his breath. Bruce Banner was a good deal thinner than he was when Tony last saw him, telling him that he hadn't been eating. Rough stubble cast a shadow over his chin, and his hair was an unruly mess. Dark shadows under his eyes expressed his lack of sleep. Overall, he looked he looked haggard and depressed, and Tony moved over quickly to comfort him, as if it would make Bruce feel any better.

“Did the doctor say anything yet?” Bruce asked hopefully, with just the slightest hint of dread in his voice.

Steve nodded, unable to make eye contact.

“...and?” 

Steve shook his head.

Bruce's entire face fell. Tears welled in his eyes as he dashed towards the elevator. “No,” he muttered to himself, over and over again as the elevator traveled down to the med floor. Tony followed him, sliding into the elevator just before the doors closed. 

The hospital room was empty when Bruce walked in. The others had decided that it would be best to leave, allowing Bruce to be alone with Tony. As soon as he entered the room, he rushed to Tony's side, clasping his hand tightly in his own and gently stroking it with his thumb. 

“How long?” he asked, sensing Steve hanging in the doorway behind him. His voice was sad and broken and it broke Tony's heart.

“Three days,” Steve said softly, watching Bruce closely for any signs of green. “I'm sorry,” he added, moving into the room and laying a hand on his shoulder. 

The tears were falling freely from Bruce's eyes, now. Tony tried to wipe them away, but it didn't do any good. God, he hated this. It had only been a few hours and he hated it this much already. He didn't want to see all of his friends hurting and not be able to comfort them. He didn't want to hear all of the conversations or last goodbyes. He wanted to _be there._ He wanted to be able to wrap his arms around Bruce, and have Bruce hug him right back. He wanted to tease the team because they actually cared about him, and have them get back at him in their own ways. He took one look at his body, then glanced back at Steve.

“What even happened to me?!” he shouted, as if it had all been his fault that this was happening. 

Steve, of course didn't hear him, but as soon as their eyes met, Tony felt reality slipping away from him as he was pulled into one of Steve Rodgers' memories.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Tony's eyes were closed, and he was barely breathing. The arc reactor was dark and the skin around it burned. Steve bit his lip, picking Tony up and rushing into the elevator. “JARVIS,” he called, “tell the doctors to prepare a room. Something's wrong with Tony.”_

_Tony had been acting a bit odd for the past few days; wincing when he moved and sliding his hand up to his chest more often than would seem right. Steve didn't think to much about it, but in hindsight he feels he should have._

_No one had seen Tony yet that day. It was only 10 a.m., but he had made plans to spar with Steve at 10:30 and Steve wanted to make sure that he hadn't forgotten. He asked the others, but none of them knew where Tony was, not even JARVIS, though he suspected that Tony was in the hall working on fixing JARVIS's surveillance cameras, which had gone down there just the day before._

_When Steve arrived in the designated hall, he found Tony lying face down on the floor. “Stark!” he called, trying to find out the meaning behind all this, but the other man didn't even flinch. “Stark?!” he called again, nervous now. When he still didn't respond, Steve ran over to him, flipping him onto his back._

_Tony's eyes were closed, and he was barely breathing. The arc reactor was dark and the skin around it burned. Steve bit his lip, picking Tony up and rushing into the elevator. “JARVIS,” he called, “tell the doctors to prepare a room. Something's wrong with Tony.”_

_Pepper had insisted on getting a med floor put into the tower once the other Avengers moved in. With a group of people like that all living under the same roof, she argued, things were bound to go wrong. Steve had thought it was a bit much at the time, but he was glad for it now._

_Steve was shooed out of the room as soon as he handed Tony over to the doctors. He waited in the hall as JARVIS told the others what had happened. Soon, the entire team was waiting in the hall outside the room, Pepper taking the jet over from Malibu. When the doctor finally came out, Bruce practically jumped him with questions. Basically, what it came down to was this: a wire had come loose from the reactor without Tony noticing. It had bumped against the socket wall, shocking him with enough voltage to reduce him to the state he was in when Steve found him. They weren't sure if he was going to pull through or not._

_Upon hearing the last part, Bruce pushed his way into the room, the others close behind him. It was a sad sight to see; the most energetic person on the team left just lying there. The doctors claimed to have fixed Tony's arc reactor but Bruce, not trusting them one bit, decided to check for himself. Once he was satisfied that it was working fine, he pulled a chair up to Tony's bedside, sat down, and stayed there. He didn't move for the next few days; just sat there, waiting for Tony to wake up, barely eating or sleeping. But he was never alone._

_Pepper was with him the most after she arrived in New York. Steve was also a frequent visitor. Thor, Natasha, and Clint weren't down there as often, but they did come in occasionally. No one said much. They mainly just told Bruce that he needed to eat more or that he needed to get some sleep. He didn't listen._

_Eventually, Steve and Natasha decided that they needed to get Bruce out of Tony's room, if only for him to get some proper rest. Bruce, being too tired to fight the team on it, went to bed, but only after having them promise to tell him if they heard anything from the doctors about when Tony might wake up. Natasha didn't say anything, but she had overheard the doctors murmuring about the possibility Tony might never wake up. She didn't think Bruce would leave the room if he knew that, so she kept quiet._

_Pepper came in later. She said she was having some trouble sleeping. This Steve could understand. He hadn't been sleeping all that well, either. Without saying anything else, she took a seat in one of the chairs next to Tony's bed. No one said anything else until the doctor came in._

_***_

Steve's memory began to ripple, and Tony pulled back into reality. 

Bruce collapsed into the nearby chair, burying his face into Tony's side as his sobs filled the room. Steve let a few tears fall from his eyes before gently rubbing Bruce's back and leaving the room. Tony, upset and angered by the new information he had acquired, began to scream. He yelled and cursed and tried to fling things about the room, even though it didn't work. 

After a while, all of the anger was gone and Tony was left with nothing but sorrow. He dropped down at Bruce's side, resting his head against his shoulder, tears falling silently from his eyes as well. He watched the clock as seconds turned into minutes, which turned into hours.

Bruce never let go of Tony's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So an electric shock probably would never cause someone to die this slowly but IT'S MY STORY I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But it wasn't going to be alright. Tony knew that, Bruce knew that. Everyone knew that. No matter how much anyone wanted it, Tony was never going to wake up.

Tony let himself fall asleep against Bruce. He was warm and soft and, let's face it, Tony had had a bit of a rough morning.

When he woke up, he didn't open his eyes for a moment. He found himself wishing more than anything that it had all been just a dream. Sadly, it wasn't. Tony wasn't surprised. Things rarely turned out the way he wanted them to. 

He glanced at the clock, seeing that he had been asleep for about 2 hours. He then cast his attention to Bruce, who had mostly stopped crying. Now, instead of having his head buried in Tony's side, he rested it against his stomach, watching Tony's face. He reached one hand up and began gently stroking Tony's hair, the other hand remaining firmly clasped around one of Tony's.

“It's going to be okay, right?” Bruce whispered, sounding as if he was going to burst out in tears at any moment. “It's all going to be alright. You just have to open your eyes. That's it. You think you can do that? Please, Tony, please? Please, just open your eyes.”

He was crying again, now. His hand tightened around Tony's, biting his lip to keep from making another sound. _“Please,”_ he whispered again.

Tony wanted to do something, _anything,_ to make Bruce feel better. “Everything's going to be fine, Bruce” he soothed, even though he knew Bruce couldn't hear him. “Everything's going to be fine. Don't worry about me. I'll be alright.” He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Bruce's cheek. “It'll all be alright.” 

But it wasn't going to be alright. Tony knew that, Bruce knew that. Everyone knew that. No matter how much anyone wanted it, Tony was never going to wake up.

A small sound came from the hall. Tony heard it, Bruce didn't. Glancing over, Tony saw Natasha hanging in the doorway. She was watching Bruce silently, standing completely still. She stayed there for a few minutes before taking a step back. She cast one final glance in the room, then walked off. Tony wasn't entirely sure what that had been about, but he had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with a last goodbye.

_Damn._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce didn't move much for the next few hours. In fact, he didn't move at all until Steve came down around 7 p.m., carrying a tray of food for him to eat for dinner. Instead, he just laid there, watching Tony with his sad, brown eyes.

Bruce didn't move much for the next few hours. In fact, he didn't move at all until Steve came down around 7 p.m., carrying a tray of food for him to eat for dinner. Instead, he just laid there, watching Tony with his sad, brown eyes.

Tony, of course, didn't move either. He wished that he could, though. He didn't want to be dying. It wasn't entirely for his sake that he wanted this. Sure, he didn't want to die, but the main reason he wished he could wake up was for Bruce. He wanted to wake up for Bruce and Pepper and the team.

He hated seeing them this hurt. Even if Pepper and Bruce were the only ones openly showing it, he knew that the others were in just as much pain. They wouldn't break down until much later, if ever at all. Tony didn't want to watch anyone break down. He didn't want to have to listen to anyone's last goodbyes, or know just how much they cared about him without being able to even say anything to them in return.

While Bruce was lying across his stomach, crying, Tony gently stroked his back. “It's going to be okay,” he whispered, over and over again. If only Bruce could hear him. 

When Steve came down with food for Bruce, the other man didn't even acknowledge his presence. 

“Hey. I... brought you some food,” Steve said, unsure of what he should say in a situation like this. Bruce didn't react at all.

“You really should eat something,” he continued, placing the tray down on the small table next to Bruce's chair. He placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly, trying to get some sort of response from the man. Bruce didn't even bat an eyelash. 

Steve groaned. “Come on, Banner,” he said, pulling Bruce up into a sitting position and leaning him against the back of his chair, his eyes still on Tony. He pulled the table with the food on it closer to Bruce. Bruce looked at the plate of food for a moment before sighing and pushing it away, focusing, once again, on Tony.

“Banner...” Steve started, trying to put on his best Captain America voice, but it came out just a little too sad to be entirely effective.

“I'm not hungry,” Bruce mumbled.

Steve sighed and made to leave the room, stopping and turning around in the doorway. “He wouldn't want you to starve, you know,” he said. Bruce's eyes watered, but he didn't respond. “At least get some sleep,” he said softly and, just like that, Steve set off down the hall.

“Bruce...” Tony began. Steve was right; he didn't want Bruce to be doing this to himself. “Come on, Bruce. Please eat,” he begged, but Bruce couldn't hear him. Instead, he remained sitting and continued to watch Tony.

Steve came back down again around midnight, being unable to sleep due to nightmares filled with dark reactors and an unmoving Tony. He looked into Tony's room. Bruce was still awake, his plate of food untouched. Steve heaved an internal sigh, drawing back. Of course Bruce was going to neglect himself. He spent a few minutes trying to think of things to say or do that might convince Bruce to eat something, or perhaps drift off to sleep. Nothing coming to mind, he withdrew down the hall, wondering if anyone else would be up at this hour. 

Given what was going on, he wasn't at all surprised to find all the other Avengers gathered in the kitchen, waiting for his arrival.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had a point. Doctor Banner wouldn't want to be forced away from his dying boyfriend, and that was understandable. Still, Steve thought it would be for the best to get him out of there for a while. He would fight back, though, and that's where the problem was. No one was sure just how strongly he was going to react to this forced separation, and they didn't want to cause him any more stress. Nor did they want to be dealing with an unhappy Hulk.

Natasha had been the first one to arrive in the kitchen. In fact, she hadn't bothered with trying to sleep and went straight there after she finished training. If the past few nights had been any indication, trying to sleep would be futile.

Clint came in next, also unable to sleep. Unlike Natasha, he had actually tried, but had given up after a few hours. He had wandered about for a bit before noticing the light coming from down the hall. He found Natasha in the kitchen and joined her in waiting for the others. 

Thor, too, had been kept up. He sat in his room thinking for a while before deciding that he needed someone to talk to. He felt fairly sure that at least one of the others would be up, as well. Upon entering the kitchen, he inquired the reason for both Clint and Natasha being there as well, then settled down to wait with them. 

Their spontaneous meeting began when Steve walked in, just before midnight. Natasha was the first to speak.

“I think we need to talk about this,” she stated calmly.

“Yeah, no shit,” Clint grumbled. Natasha fixed him with a pointed glare and he quieted.

Steve looked confused for a moment until Thor spoke.

“We are worried about what the death of Tony Stark is going to do to Doctor Banner's health,” he said.

Steve nodded. This was definitely affecting them all, but it was hitting Bruce the hardest. Ever since Tony had first been brought down to the med floor, Bruce hadn't been eating or sleeping much. Now that he had been told he wasn't going to wake up, Steve suspected that the man would stop the two actions all together, and land him in the med floor, too.

“Did he eat at all?” Natasha asked, knowing enough about Banner to assume that he wouldn't be taking care of himself.

Steve shook his head. “I don't think he'll be sleeping, either,” he replied.

“Do you think it would help to get him out of that room?” Clint supplied. 

Natasha snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“Clint's right,” Steve said. “I don't think he should just be sitting in there all the time. We should try to get him out, even if we can only keep him from going back for an hour or two.” 

“And how exactly are we going to do that?” Natasha challenged. 

She had a point. Doctor Banner wouldn't want to be forced away from his dying boyfriend, and that was understandable. Still, Steve thought it would be for the best to get him out of there for a while. He would fight back, though, and that's where the problem was. No one was sure just how strongly he was going to react to this forced separation, and they didn't want to cause him any more stress. Nor did they want to be dealing with an unhappy Hulk. Not that the Hulk was ever truly happy, but still...

“I don't know,” Steve admitted with a sigh. Silence descended upon the room again, each person lost in their own thoughts. They remained this way until the sun rose, when Natasha put on a pot of coffee and they began discussing possible ways of getting Bruce out of Tony's room for a while. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It broke Tony's heart to see Bruce like this. All of the other times Bruce had gotten sad, it never had gotten as bad as this. If it even got anywhere close, Tony was there to comfort him. Now, Tony was lying unconscious in a bed, and Bruce was left counting down the days until he could no longer be with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as of right now, I've been uploading every other day, and I'm going to try to stick to that schedule. I apologize in advance if I end up missing a day.

Bruce didn't sleep at all that night. No surprise there. Instead he sat quietly, holding Tony's hand and trying to keep calm. “Two more days,” he whispered sadly as the sun came up.

It broke Tony's heart to see Bruce like this. All of the other times Bruce had gotten sad, it never had gotten as bad as this. If it even got anywhere close, Tony was there to comfort him. Now, Tony was lying unconscious in a bed, and Bruce was left counting down the days until he could no longer be with him.

Steve and Natasha came down around eight, planning to get Banner out of the room. They weren't entirely sure how it was going to go, but they both suspected that it wasn't going to be easy. Steve brought his shield down with him, just in case. 

Bruce didn't look up when the two of them entered the room. Not that Steve expected him to, but he had hoped that Bruce was going to let this be easy. It didn't seem likely.

“Doctor Banner,” said Steve, finally capturing Bruce's attention. He looked up at them, but didn't say anything.

Unsure of how to put it, Steve got straight to the point. “The team and I don't think it's good for you to be spending all of your time in here. We think you should step out for a while.”

Bruce tensed, flinching back in his chair a bit, as if worried Steve and Natasha would come over and drag him out. He could hear the Hulk whisper in the back of his head, not at all pleased with being asked to leave Tony's side at a time like this. 

“Just for a bit,” Steve said quickly, seeing hints of green in Bruce's eyes.

“It's okay, Bruce. Calm down,” Tony said. Even though Bruce couldn't hear him, it felt right to be calming him down. He was the only one who could keep Bruce from turning, and, for a moment hoped that it would work. It didn't. 

“I'm not leaving,” Bruce said, anger seeping into his voice.

“Only for a few minutes, Banner. We're worried about you.” Steve held his hands up and started backing away towards the door, where he had left his shield. 

“I'm not going to just fucking LEAVE HIM!” Bruce shouted, standing up and pushing his chair back.

“Bruce! Bruce, just calm down!” Tony said, but Bruce couldn't hear him.

“I've been worried since day one that I might end up hurting you, or that something else would. I tried not to get attached but I did. I tried to leave but I couldn't. I care about him. I care about him more than you could possibly know! I LOVE him, damn it! I love him and I never let him know!”

Bruce was shaking, tears streaming down his face. But it was only going to get worse. Bruce was mad, now. Hulk was mad. He lunged forward, grabbing fistfuls of Steve's shirt and pressing him back against the wall.

“Now you're telling me that he's dying and I have to leave?! Well maybe I don't want to fucking leave! Ever think about that?!”

Bruce was shaking even more, now, his eyes entirely green. Without another word, he threw Steve to the floor, stalking past Natasha and out of the room. He set off at a fast pace down the hall, heading for the Hulk Room. Steve got up and followed him.

“Doctor Banner,” he called as he set off after his team member.

Natasha watched, secretly terrified, as Bruce left. When Steve followed, she did not. She didn't want to have anything to do with the Hulk, especially not at a time like this. 

What she did do was turn into the room, walking over and standing at the side of Tony's bed.

“Hey, Stark...”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had never been very open with her feelings, even with herself. Now, staring down at her fallen team mate, she felt she at least owed him that.

Tony had learned not to trust Natasha when she was quiet. Well, trusting Natasha at all was something he was rather disinclined to do, never forgetting the time when she went undercover as a Stark employee. Still, when Natasha spoke quietly, she always ended up sounding dangerous, just a few moments away from getting into a physical fight. 

Now. Her voice was soft and sad, and a little unsure. She had never been very open with her feelings, even with herself. Now, staring down at her fallen team mate, she felt she at least owed him that.

“You have always been one self-centered, egotistical son-of-a-bitch... and I'm going to miss that. It won't be a team anymore without you. Not really.”

She reached out and gently placed a hand on his arm, looking as though she might be fighting back tears. Never before had Tony ever seen Natasha look so sad. In all honesty, he had never seen her look sad at all. Or happy, for that matter. But that just seemed to make it that much worse.

“I think I care about you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as she accepted that revelation. “And I'm really going to miss you.”

She stepped back from Tony's bed and, just like that, all emotions were gone again. All that remained was a hint of sorrow in her eyes. She straightened her back, then left the room. 

Tony sunk down into a nearby chair, running a hand through his hair as he thought about what had just happened. Natasha cared. She admitted it. She had said that she was going to miss him, and then just left the room.

He hadn't imagined a goodbye from Natasha to be very emotional. He wasn't entirely sure he expected a goodbye from her at all. She was always so careful about showing emotion. Her farewell had been short and to the point, but just enough to show Tony that she truly did care about the team.

With the room empty for once, he figured that the others would probably come down and say their goodbyes, too. It wouldn't be long before Bruce came back in, and then no onewould dare try to get him to leave. 

Tony sighed and watched the door. 

He was expecting visitors.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony watched Clint carefully when he entered the room. He was fairly sure that he was here to say goodbye as well. He sighed. He didn't want to hear it, but felt that he should. I mean, hey, people say goodbye because they feel like the person should know how much they cared, right? So Tony stayed in the room, waiting for Clint to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! (:

Clint was the next one to come down. 

He had been in the hall just beyond the Hulk Room when he saw Bruce, who was visibly upset. After he went into the room, shutting the door behind him, Clint saw Steve, who looked nervous and confused. He looked at Clint, opening his mouth to ask him if Bruce was in the room, but Clint simply nodded before he could get any words out. As he continued down the hall, Clint was aware of Steve waiting outside the door to the Hulk Room for Banner to come back out.

With Bruce now out of Tony's room, Clint figured it would be empty. By the time he had gotten down there, Natasha had been long gone. He walked over to the chair at the side of his bed, sitting down and watching his fallen teammate. 

Tony watched Clint carefully when he entered the room. He was fairly sure that he was here to say goodbye as well. He sighed. He didn't want to hear it, but felt that he should. I mean, hey, people say goodbye because they feel like the person should know how much they cared, right? So Tony stayed in the room, waiting for Clint to start. 

“You're an asshole, Stark,” Clint finally said.

“So I've been told,” was Tony's unheard response.

“I never got to know you much. Never wanted to. Now, I kind of regret that.” Clint was stared down at his hands as he spoke. “You always pretended that you didn't care, but I know you did. Like that time you made me those new arrows. Thanks for that, by the way. I don't think I ever told you how much I really appreciated it.”

Tony nodded. He knew what he was talking about. He had overheard Clint one day, complaining about how he needed better arrows. Apparently, his originals weren't cutting it. So Tony had made him some new ones. He didn't really have anything else to do. Clint's response had been a simple “Thanks,” but it didn't bother him.

“I guess this it it then,” Clint said, looking up from his hands, eyes finding Tony's face, unmoving as ever.

Clint sighed and stood up. “Bye, Stark,” he said, then left the room. 

Tony watched him as he left the room, then looked down at his body, motionless on the bed. He felt as though he might cry. This really wasn't fair, having to listen to everyone say goodbye without truly knowing that he was listening. Had he been able to, he would have taunted them about what they had said. Well, not Natasha, but he might have made fun of Clint a little. 

Tony sighed, leaning back against the wall. He looked at the clock. Only half an hour had passed since Bruce left the room, and already he wished that there were things in life that you could un-hear.

He shook his head and resumed waiting. Two down, four to go.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one else came down after that; Bruce was still in the Hulk Room and Steve was still watching the door. Tony got tired of waiting alone, so he left the room and wandered the tower for a bit.

Shortly after Clint left, Thor came in.

His farewell followed a similar path as Clint's and Natasha's. He told Tony (in length) how he cared for him and how much he was going to miss him. It was rather sweet. But then he started saying a whole bunch of stuff that probably made a lot of sense on Asgard but here it was simply odd, and Tony felt his attention slipping.

Pepper came down next, Happy lingering in the doorway. She was crying as she told him that she still loved him and how sorry she was that things ended between them the way that they did. Tony wished that he could comfort her, but she had Happy for that. 

Pepper stayed in Tony's room for awhile, just crying. Eventually, Happy came in and pulled her away from Tony's bed. After that, Tony was alone.

No one else came down after that; Bruce was still in the Hulk Room and Steve was still watching the door. Tony got tired of waiting alone, so he left the room and wandered the tower for a bit.

After walking for awhile, Tony found himself in the living room with Clint and Natasha. Each was holding a mug of what he assumed was coffee (it was still morning after all), and neither one was speaking. They were both wholly absorbed in their thoughts, and for a brief moment, Tony wondered what exactly it was was that they were thinking about. However, as he got closer, their gloomy expressions brought him to the conclusion that he didn't want to know anyway. They were probably thinking about him. 

He walked some more, finding Thor in the kitchen. There was a large box of Pop Tarts on the counter in front of him, but it was unopened. All he seemed to be doing was staring at it. Tony was shocked. He had never seen Thor turn down food that was offered to him, unless he already knew that he didn't like it. But now, it seemed that the God of Thunder had lost his appetite. This thought was rather disturbing, so Tony continued wandering. 

He saw Pepper and Happy getting into the elevator together, discussing their plans to go out to eat. Happy thought it would be best to get Pepper out of the tower for awhile. Tony agreed with him.

Eventually, Tony found himself face-to-face with Steve Rodgers, who was still waiting for Bruce to come out of the Hulk Room. He looked tired and worn out, an expression that Tony, no matter how much he would hate to admit it, never wanted to see on his face again. 

Tony turned his head, watching the door with Steve for a few moments. He had always wondered what exactly it was the Bruce did while he was in there. He assumed that the Hulk just smashed stuff until he calmed down again.

Now, Tony walked up to the door and rested his hand on it. He was surprised to learn that it no longer felt solid. He pushed against it and watched as his hand slowly disappeared into the door. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He pushed his hand all the way through the door before walking entirely through it. Tony was shocked by what he found on the other side.

He had expected the Hulk to be hitting things, maybe roaring from time to time and tearing things apart. Instead, he just sat there, sobbing. Tony was taken aback. He hadn't expected the Hulk to be crying. 

He backed out of the room quickly, not wanting to stay at all. With the images of his unhappy friends still burning in his mind, Tony retreated back to his hospital room, and hoped he could forget.  



	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a start, Bruce remembered. He remembered where Tony was. He remembered why Tony wasn't here. He remembered that he wasn't going to be here ever again.
> 
> Bruce wished he hadn't remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was having a bad day, so do you know what that means? You guys get some extra-angst today! Two chapters in one day and this one is extra-sad.   
> Enjoy!

It was many hours before Bruce woke up.

He was on the floor of the Hulk Room, eyes burning and throat sore, as though he had been crying. He sat up, head still fuzzy, and briefly wondered why Tony wasn't here yet. Usually, Tony was there when he woke up with a change of clothes and glass of water, helping Bruce onto his feet and talking him down after his transformation. But Tony wasn't here this time.

With a start, Bruce remembered. He remembered where Tony was. He remembered why Tony wasn't here. He remembered that he wasn't going to be here ever again.

Bruce wished he hadn't remembered.

Unfortunately, Bruce _did_ remember, and he wasn't likely to forget. With a sigh that sounded suspiciously like a sob, he stood up. On his own. There was no Tony to lean against, no strong arms wrapped around his waste to make sure that he didn't fall. He was alone, and he was going to have to get used to it.

He made his way to the table at the far side of the room, on which some spare clothes were neatly folded. He got dressed, then turned to leave, but stopped at the sight of the room. Tony had built it for him as a surprise. At first Bruce had been rather annoyed, but secretly, he loved Tony for it. Loved him for caring so much, for giving him a space where he could be angry and not have to worry about hurting people. Hulk had loved Tony for it, too. 

Now, it reminded Bruce too much of him. Tears welled in his eyes as he sank down, leaning against the wall and staring off into space. Could he really live without Tony? Wasn't there any hope at all that he might wake up?

With his lip quivering, he curled up into a ball, tears falling from his eyes. He drew in deep, shaky breaths to try to calm himself down, but it hardly did any good. He missed him. He missed him already. He wasn't even gone yet and he missed him.

_I never even got to tell him I loved him._

This was the one thought that whirled through Bruce Banner's mind as he sat alone in the Hulk Room, crying. Why was life so unfair? Hadn't he suffered enough? Apparently not, because as soon as he found a shred of happiness, the world took it upon itself to stamp it out. It left him feeling upset and alone, more secluded than ever. 

He had to leave. There was no way he could stay here. Everything reminded him of Tony; of how much Tony cared, of how it should have been Bruce in the hospital bed, unconscious with only days left. Tony didn't deserve to die. Bruce had killed thousands; it should have been him. Besides, there would always be a long line of people willing to comfort Tony. Who else was going to love Bruce? Once Tony was gone.... he would be alone.

But he couldn't leave. Not when he knew how much Tony would have wanted him to stay. It would have broken his heart to see Bruce go, and Bruce couldn't do that to him.

He stayed in the Hulk Room until his last tear was finally spent. He felt weak and empty, but he forced himself up onto his feet and made his way to the door. When he peered out into the hall, he immediately noticed Steve on the floor, sound asleep. It was already dark out, and Bruce cursed himself for leaving Tony alone for the whole day.

Steve, a very light sleeper, woke up when he heard Bruce step out into the hall. “Doctor Banner,” he said, standing up. 

Bruce didn't say a word in response but nodded his recognition, staring at his feet. 

“Doctor Banner, are you alright?” Steve asked, knowing the answer was “no”, but that Bruce would say that he was fine anyway. 

Just as Steve thought, Bruce nodded then shifted down the hall, most likely heading back to the med floor. “Doctor Banner,” he pressed, knowing it wasn't healthy for him not to talk. But Bruce, ever the quiet man that he was, continued walking.

He stepped into the elevator, doors closing before Steve had the chance to get in another word. He pressed the button and rode silently to the med floor, stepping out of the elevator and into Tony's room. His breath caught in the back of his throat the sight of his boyfriend lying on the bed, various tubes and wires leading in and out of him. Bruce bit his lip. He hadn't remembered him looking _that_ bad.

He walked slowly to the side of Tony's bed, sitting down in the chair and taking Tony's hand in his own. He laid his head down at his side and, being completely drained of energy, slowly fell into a soft sleep. 

Unbeknownst to him, Tony glided over to his side, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek and rubbing his back, wishing him good dreams. God only knows how much he needed them.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It was pulling him in, and Bruce couldn't do a thing to stop it; he was paralyzed with fear. He reached forward to try and hold onto him, but he was slipping from his grasp, slowly and steadily being absorbed into the dark._

*** 

_He was staring out the window, watching as rain fell in a downpour. He was disappointed. Something in the back of his mind told him that this was because he and Tony had made plans to spend the afternoon in the park together, but he didn't pay much attention to how he knew that. All he was focused on was the fact that the rain had ruined their date._

_A pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind, and he found himself being pulled into his boyfriend's warm embrace._

_“You know,” Tony whispered, his voice still a little rough after only having just woken up, “I do believe your schedule has been cleared.”_

_A smile twitched at the corner of Bruce's lips. “New plans already?”_

_“I am always prepared.” Bruce could hear the smile in Tony's voice as he said it._

_Without another word, Tony pulled Bruce back into their bed, where he rolled over to face Tony and wrap his arms around the other man as well. Tony leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Bruce's lips and Bruce was happy. He broke the kiss and leaned his head against Tony's chest, closing his eyes. He couldn't think of anything else he'd rather be doing right now. All he wanted to do was lay in bed in Tony's arms and, quite possibly, never move again._

_His happiness didn't last long. His feelings of calm joy were soon replaced with the growing sense that something was going wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong._

_Tony's arms were growing cold around him. Why were they growing cold? “Tony?” he asked. “You okay?”_

_Tony didn't respond._

_Panicked, Bruce sat up, opening his eyes and looking down at Tony. The man looked confused, and slightly pained. Bruce looked around him. Quickly growing as confused as Tony. Their room seemed to be melting into an oppressive darkness, which bled in on them._

_“Tony, what's going on?”_

_The darkness seeped closer-_

_“Tony?”_

_-and closer-_

_“Tony?!”_

_-and closer. Suddenly it was at the edge of their bed, continuing to close in on them. Bruce didn't know what to do, couldn't register what was happening, but suddenly the darkness was everywhere and even worse, it had a hold on Tony._

_It was pulling him in, and Bruce couldn't do a thing to stop it; he was paralyzed with fear. He reached forward to try and hold onto him, but he was slipping from his grasp, slowly and steadily being absorbed into the dark._

_All to soon, there was only his hands reaching out. Bruce lunged forward, intertwining his fingers with Tony's while silently begging him not to slip away. But, without there being a thing he could do to stop it, Tony's hands were pulled from his, and the man he loved was lost forever in the inky darkness._

_***_

Steve watched from the doorway, seeing Bruce and immediately knowing that he was having a nightmare. Unsure of what to do, he walked into the room and laid a calming hand on Bruce's shoulder. Something in the little gesture allowed Bruce's breathing to even out, slipping from the nightmare into a dreamless sleep.

With Bruce now resting peacefully, Steve turned his attention to the real reason he was here. He wasn't going to let his friend die without saying goodbye first, and he knew that after today, there is no way Bruce would leave the room again. So Steve took a deep breath and, letting loose the tears he had held back for so long so that he could be strong for his team, began talking.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony held his breath. He was torn between not wanting to hear what followed those words, and needing to. Steve never called him Tony.

“Hey Stark- Tony...” Steve's words were quiet and strained as he did his best to not wake Bruce, or have a complete breakdown at Tony's bedside.

Tony held his breath. He was torn between not wanting to hear what followed those words, and needing to. Steve never called him Tony.

“I don't think I ever told you... how wrong I was. About you.” Steve had laid a hand on Tony's arm, stroking it lightly. “You remember when we first met? In the lab on the Helicarrier?”

Tony nodded. “Hard to forget,” he murmured.

“Remember what I said to you? How I told you you weren't the guy to make the sacrifice play? Then you went and flew that nuke into the portal...”

Tony cringed. That was not a time that he liked to think about. For Tony's sake, no one had mentioned it ever again, but he supposed that Steve didn't truly know he was listening.

“I watched, you know,” Steve continued. “I waited, hoped, _prayed_ , that you were gonna come back out. When you didn't, I... I told Natasha to close it.” Steve was crying again, harder this time, shoulders shaking as he tried his hardest not to be too loud. “All I kept thinking was how wrong I was. I was wrong and mean and I'd never have the chance to apologize.”

Bruce stirred and Steve moved his hand from Tony's arm to gently rub Bruce's back as he passed from one nightmare into another.

“And then you came out and I thought that that would be it, that that would be the worst it got. I didn't expect this. Not this...” Steve trailed off as his tears rendered him unable to speak. 

Tony moved over to Steve's side, putting a hand on his shoulder and whispering in a soft voice Steve would never hear again, “It's okay, Steve... Shh, shh... it's okay.”

Eventually Steve's sobs softened enough for him to finish. “I'm sorry, Tony. I'm sorry.”

He repeated this several more times, until his voice faltered again and he backed out of the room, leaving Bruce sleeping and Tony dying. 

Someone would wake up in the morning, and Tony knew that it wasn't going to be him. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's heart broke a little bit right then. Bruce just looked and sounded so defeated. He wanted to go over to Bruce; to kiss him and hold him and just talk to him until he felt better, but found that he could not move. Not like Bruce would even notice anything he tried to do anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everybody! (:

When Bruce finally woke up, it was from another nightmare. Relatively simple, this one, yet, to Bruce, absolutely terrifying: a solid flatline, come far to soon. 

He snapped back into awareness with a start, ears still ringing with the horrendous sound. For one awful moment, he couldn't tell the difference between his dream and reality, but soon calmed as the ringing switched to rhythmic beeps.

He let out a shaky breath and leaned back in his chair, glancing at the clock before letting his eyes fall back on Tony. He had been away from him all day yesterday. Bruce added guilt to the long list of bad emotions he was feeling at the moment. 

Bruce reached out and gently took Tony's hand in his own. He wondered what had happened when he was out of the room. Hopefully, one of the others had come down and sat with Tony. He didn't want to think about Tony being left alone to die, the fact that he was unconscious not making the slightest of differences. 

Bruce sighed, resting his chin on his hand. “Sorry about yesterday,” he whispered, voice rough with emotion, “I should have better control, by now.”

Tony's heart broke a little bit right then. Bruce just looked and sounded so _defeated_. He wanted to go over to Bruce; to kiss him and hold him and just talk to him until he felt better, but found that he could not move. Not like Bruce would even notice anything he tried to do anyway. 

Bruce's lip trembled a little. “So this is really it, huh?” he said, blinking away the tears brimming in his eyes. “This is really happening.” He leaned forward, bringing Tony's hand up to his lips as he squeezed it tighter. “You're really never going to wake up.” Bruce was crying again, his words muffled, but still understandable, against Tony's hand. 

This time Tony did go over to him. He wrapped his arms around Bruce and whispered meaningless promises he knew he could never keep, like “It's going to be okay,”. If Bruce could have heard him, he would have countered that it would most definitely _not_ be okay, and Tony knew that he would be right. 

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, until Bruce found his voice enough to choke out one more sentence. 

“I don't want you to leave me.”

Bruce lost it after that, collapsing against Tony and burying his face into his side, clinging to Tony's hand like his life depended on it. Tony couldn't keep it together anymore, either. He let go of Bruce, screaming as he spun around and slammed his fist into the wall, mood worsening when he saw that it only passed through it. He curled up in a corner and started crying, too. Bruce didn't want him to leave, and Tony didn't want to go.

Why did they have to be forced apart?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't see a point in caring, anymore. He was going to be dead in a matter of hours, so why should he spend his time watching his mopey friends count down the seconds until their teammate was no more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just KNOW that I'll forget to upload once I'm back in school, so I'm going to go ahead and finish up now. Thanks for reading! (:
> 
>  
> 
> p.s. If anyone has requests for what sort of story they'd like me to write next, I'd love to hear them (:

Tony stopped paying attention after that. Eventually Bruce stopped crying, but never took his head of Tony's abdomen. At some point, his teammates poked their heads in the room to check on things, but didn't venture to step inside. A doctor came in to change his I.V.s, but didn't say a word.

He didn't see a point in caring, anymore. He was going to be dead in a matter of hours, so why should he spend his time watching his mopey friends count down the seconds until their teammate was no more?

He got up out of his corner and walked over to his bed. Leaning against it, he regarded Bruce, who was watching Tony's face as if waiting for a twitch to betray his fate. However, as expected, his face remained unmoved. 

After several minutes, Tony began to get angry again at how unfair it all was. “Oh, quit pouting,” he snapped at Bruce. It wasn't as if he could hear him, anyway. “I'm the one who's dying, not you!” Bruce started stroking Tony's hand gently and Tony huffed. 

He stayed leaning against his bed, but cast his eyes to the far side of the room. Why couldn't he just wake up? He's done it just about every morning for his entire life, sometimes even with a massive hangover, so why couldn't he do it now?

Tony closed his eyes, trying to calm himself with some of the deep-breathing exercises Bruce taught him. _Now is not the time to be angry,_ he told himself. He tried to find something he could focus his energy on, but could think of nothing. Out of lack of better things to do, Tony tried to turn his anger into a weapon and blow up the glass that was sitting on the table at his bedside. Needless to say, it didn't work, but it did leave Tony feeling oddly drained.

Bruce sat back up in his chair, still holding Tony's hand. He didn't take his eyes off the body before him, wanting to drink in every image while he still could, no matter how much it would pain him when he looked back on them later. He didn't want to forget a single detail about this man, and doubted he ever would. He was too important to him to forget.

Feeling very tired now, Tony laid back down on the bed. He wasn't in a very comfortable position, because hospital beds weren't made for sharing. Shaky and exhausted, with an odd feeling in his chest, Tony fell asleep, and dreamed of waking up. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce sat silently for hours, holding Tony's hand and feeling a growing sense of dread as each hour came and passed. Each second that ticked by only served to remind him that they were living on borrowed time. He squeezed Tony's hand tighter in his, not wanting to give him up.

Bruce sat silently for hours, holding Tony's hand and feeling a growing sense of dread as each hour came and passed. Each second that ticked by only served to remind him that they were living on borrowed time. He squeezed Tony's hand tighter in his, not wanting to give him up. 

After some time, Bruce noticed what looked to be a drop of water on Tony's cheek. He wasn't quite sure how it got there, and his sleep deprived brain told him not to care. He stood to walk over to the table behind him, wanting to grab the towel that was sitting there to dry off Tony's face. 

As he rose, his hand didn't slip out of Tony's as he expected. Instead, it was caught in the man's slightly curled fingertips. Bruce turned back to the bed and frowned. He only remembered the man's hand lying flat on the sheets, or unmoving in his hands. The fingers around his squeezed a bit tighter and Bruce's breath caught in his throat.

“...Tony?” His voice was full of the hope he didn't want to let himself have. He bit his lip and held his breath, squeezing the man's hand tightly in return. _Please,_ he prayed. _Please let this be real._

Slowly but surely, Tony's head turned on the pillow to face Bruce. His eyelids pulled open, and Bruce found himself staring into exhausted, but familiar, brown eyes. A slight smile twitched at the corners of Tony's lips, and Bruce could barely see anymore due to tears. 

_“Tony!”_

***

Tony came back into awareness by degrees. At first, all he could sense was the deep ache that seemed to spread all over his body, specifically in his chest. The next thing he was aware of was the breathing tube that was shoved down his throat, which would have annoyed him if he had enough energy for that. The third thing he noticed was a hand in his own; a hand that was trying to slip away.

Tony didn't know where he was, what was going on, or who was holding his hand, but for now, it was all he had. Terrified at the thought of being left alone like this, he used all the strength he had to curl his fingers around the other person's hand. It stopped moving away from him and he relaxed a little, tightening his hold on the other person's hand, who squeezed Tony's hand right back. 

“...Tony?”

Bruce? That was Bruce's voice, right? Yes, yes it was. He'd recognize it anywhere. 

With a great amount of effort, Tony managed to tilt his head to the side and drag his eyes open to see Bruce. The world was very blurry, and he seemed to be in some sort of hospital, but he'd recognize his boyfriend anywhere. Bruce. He smiled as much as he could, feeling at peace despite the situation he was in.

_“Tony!”_ Bruce leaned forward, kissing his cheeks and forehead, trailing his hands along his jaw, neck, chest, and arms, as if trying to assure himself that Tony was real. He was crying and getting Tony's face all wet, but he didn't mind. Eventually, Bruce pulled back, still crying as he let his hands finally settle on cupping Tony's face.

Doctors came rushing in in utter shock, but Tony didn't really pay much attention to what they said or did. He answered their questions by either nodding or shaking his head, and let them run their hands along his upper body, checking his vitals (even though there was equipment for that) and asking him if anything hurt (which it all did).

The rest of his team came down not long after the doctors came in, arriving at the door stunned and somewhat out of breath, as if they had sprinted to the med floor (where Tony had figured out he was), and he guessed that JARVIS had called them and told them he was awake, indicating that he had spent quite a bit of time unconscious and no one had expected him to wake up yet or, if some faded, fuzzy memory he seemed to have was true, ever at all. Later he would find out just how long, but for now he was perfectly fine with holding Bruce's hand and letting himself fall back to sleep. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, see? Happy ending ! (:


	18. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the look on his face, Bruce could tell that Tony was exhausted and sore, but he was alive and that was what mattered.

Tony slept for many hours after that, and still Bruce didn't leave his side. He held his hand as he quietly talked with the others, mainly about how relieved they all were that Tony was going to be okay, and Bruce still hardly dared believe it. 

When Tony woke up, the doctors told him what had happened, how long he had been out for, and other things of a similar nature. From the look on his face, Bruce could tell that Tony was exhausted and sore, but he was alive and that was what mattered. He kissed his forehead and stroked his hair, and Tony seemed to relax. 

Tony was kept on the med floor for a few days to recover. Pepper and the rest of the team came down often to talk to him and keep him company, sending Bruce out of the room to get some sleep; he didn't even argue with them, too relieved to get worked up, and really tired, anyway. Tony felt that the recovery was a bit slow, but when the doctors finally took Tony off the ventilator, the first thing he did was kiss Bruce, passionate and deep.

They eventually let Tony go back up to the main floors of the tower. At first, most of the others were nervous about letting him out of their sight, but he somehow managed to convince them that he would be fine. He had already looked over the reactor and was sure that nothing like that was going to happen again. After a while, life went back to normal, although Bruce and the Hulk were a bit more protective than they had been before, but Tony didn't mind that much.

He never told anyone what he had seen in those three days. He didn't feel that it was any of their business. He tried to convince himself that it had all been a dream, but when it came down to it, he knew it was real.

He just didn't want to admit it. 

 


End file.
